Datsyuk leads Red Wings to fourth straight win

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Even without his linemates, Pavel
Datsyuk continues to thrive.

Datsyuk scored the game-winning goal late in the third period
and set up two others as the Detroit Red Wings won their fourth
consecutive contest with a 4-2 triumph over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Mikael Samuelsson and defenseman Brian Rafalski also tallied for
the Red Wings, who have beaten the Coyotes in all three
meetings this season and seven straight overall against their
the Western Conference foes.

"It was a good professional win," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock
said. "We have real good depth. We have good young players and
they are getting a good opportunity right now, but Pavel
brought it to another level. He and Nick (Lidstrom) were the
best players on the ice tonight."

After a Coyotes turnover, Datsyuk led a rush up the ice. The
Russian center made a quick stop at the left faceoff circle,
waited for the defender to overskate the play and launched a
wrist shot over the blocker of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to give
the Red Wings a 3-2 edge with 4:06 remaining in the contest.

"I stopped quick because I didn't want to shoot the backhand,"
Datsyuk said. "I made the decision to shoot. I tried to shoot
at the net and it got through."

Datsyuk has played the past three games without his usual
linemates with both Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom
nursing injuries, but that has not slowed him down. He has two
goals and five assists over that stretch.

"Not just me, all the guys have been doing more," Datsyuk said.
"We wanted to (focus) more on not just the offense but on
defense with them out. The more and better we play now, it will
be better for everyone when they come back."

Datsyuk registered the assist on Kris Draper's empty-netter with
35 seconds left that provided the final margin.

The Coyotes were able to control the league's top offense for
most of the first period, but the Red Wings broke through with
4:46 left when Jiri Hudler faked a shot from the left circle,
getting Bryzgalov to go to the right post. Hudler then passed
to Samuelsson, who launched a wrist shot into a wide open net.

Phoenix responded with a pair of quick goals just 25 seconds
apart midway through the second period.

Defensemen Ed Jovanovski tied the game at 1-1 with his 100th
career goal and then Radim Vrbata gave the Coyotes the lead with
a goal on a penalty shot. After Draper was called for tripping
Vrbata on a breakaway, the Coyotes' leading goal scorer skated
in wide, deked and flipped a backhander over the stick of
netminder Chris Osgood.

"It was 2-2 and then it was pretty much whoever was going to
score next," Vrbata said. "We were playing a tie game with the
best team in the league - and that's pretty good - but we didn't
score when we needed to."

Osgood had another solid night, making 32 saves and stopping all
13 shots he faced in the third period. The 35-year-old
improved his record to an impressive 17-2-1 on the season.

"I'm just playing relaxed," Osgood said. "I'm confident, can't
wait to play the next game and I don't worry about all the other
stuff that is going on. I'm just having a lot of fun out
there, and there is nothing more than that."

Detroit tied the game at 2-2 on a power play with 94 seconds
remaining in the middle session when Datsyuk delivered a
cross-ice pass to Rafalski, who fired a one-timer past
Bryzgalov.

Bryzgalov turned aside 31 of the 34 shots he faced.

Phoenix has lost its last three games - all at home - after
winning five of its previous six on a road trip.

"It was a 2-1 game, we had opportunities - including a 5-on-3 -
but we came out of it with a 4-on-3 disadvantage. It is
uncalled for," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "It was not
very professional, it was our own fault. We talked about this
for four days that we need the power play to score and it
hasn't."